Category Archives: Blog

Post navigation

Super excited to have Misah Gerrick on my blog today, where she's showing casing her amazing new release – Endless – plus talking to us about where she gets her inspirations from. Take it away.

If you’ve been following my blog tour, you’ll know that the origins of Endless lies somewhere between Twilight and Assassin’s Creed.

Yeah. That is a weird combination, but I think it works. The thing is, it’s also a great way for me to explain how my mind works to create new stories. I love reading and watching movies and/or t.v. series. I also love music and sleeping. And every now and then, I enjoy playing computer games. I also enjoy going to museums, watching documentaries and people-watching.

But the interesting thing is that almost every single thing I see triggers something in the back of my mind. Chronicles of Narnia triggered a character. Twilight made me think: But what would happen if a vampire had amnesia? But then I also realized I didn’t want to get onto the vampire bandwagon. Assassin’s Creed made me think: But what if an Assassin and a Templar fell in love? Which I also realized wouldn’t really cut it for a story. But then came a big lightbulb moment…

What if, instead of an Assassin, Templar and vampires, I just had two different classes of immortals, and one with amnesia falls in love with the other without realizing he/she and the other immortal are actually enemies?

That’s a story I wanted to write.

This morning alone, I was thinking about a movie that had a trailer that made me think about how the story would run. Turned out that the trailer completely and utterly created the wrong impression. But that story I had wanted to watch… that might be something that interest me to write instead.

So yeah. Inspiration is everywhere. But for me, at least, it’s hardly ever a complete gift-wrapped idea. Often, it’s more like a puzzle to which I had the pieces all along.

Where do you get your story ideas from?

About the Book

“First, do no harm.” Blake Ryan swore that oath to become a doctor. Ironic, given that he spent most of his thousand year life sucking souls out of other immortals.

Things are different now. Using regular shots of morphine to keep his inner monster at bay, Ryan has led a quiet life since the Second World War. His thrills now come from saving lives, not taking them.

Until a plane crash brings Aleria into his hospital. Her life is vibrant. Crack to predators like him. She’s the exact sort of person they would hunt, and thanks to a severe case of amnesia, she’s all but defenseless.

Leaving Aleria vulnerable isn’t an option, but protecting her means unleashing his own inner monster. Which is a problem, because his inner monster wants her dead most of all.

This had to be what dying felt like. Floating outside my body, waiting for that final link to my life to be severed, only vaguely aware of indescribable pain. More screams than I could count rose up around me. Hundreds of footsteps beat against tiles. I couldn’t open my eyes if I wanted to. Not when it was easier to listen and wait. People shouted for a doctor or an IV, or a thousand other things that made no sense. I listened to all the chaos, trying to untangle it in my thoughts.

Soon, I could go. The peace around me was so relaxing, completely out of place in the clamor I heard. I wanted it. To rest forever in that peace. Why not? There was a very good reason, but I couldn’t call it to mind.

A numb buzz shot through my body and shattered my serenity.

It happened again. Only this time was more of a sharp pulse. The third time jolted like lightning. The fourth…Hell. Suddenly, the screams were coming from me. My heart’s relentless thundering added to my torment.

Pain.

Everywhere.

My chest burned like fire. It hurt to breathe. Cold air drove down my throat and into my lungs, amplifying the inferno in my chest. My skin felt scorched. It couldn’t be. It wasn’t right.

I had to see. I had to understand why pain dominated my existence like this. My eyes were fused shut. My breaths grew shallow, trying to draw air when there was none. I tried to clench my teeth. I bit hard plastic. A pipe. Cold air suddenly forced back into my lungs, out of time with my own breathing. This was wrong. It wasn’t safe. I had to see. The best I got was a little fluttering of my lashes.

A high-pitched beep shot through my head. It repeated again and again. I wanted to reach over and slam my fist into its source. My arm wouldn’t lift. Something kept it trapped. A scream rose up from the depths of my soul, but the pipe jammed inside my throat stifled the sound. I only managed a whimper, trying my best not to gag. More air blasted into my lungs against my will. What was going on? I was trapped in my own body, but why?

I needed to move. I had to move. Now. Before… Even… Even though… Panic gripped me. The beeps increased at a frenetic pace. I needed to move. To be gone. Didn’t matter where. Just not here. Not defenseless. Not trapped.

The air sucked out of my lungs. I gasped, choking on nothing, strangled by invisible fingers. I tried to convulse my body. To twist myself free of what’s holding me.

Nothing.

The air rushed back in a cold flood. Seconds later it left, only to return in the same amount of time.

There was a rhythm to the air. In… out… in… out… The breaths were slow—sleep-like. I concentrated on this rhythm, striving to clear my head. If I wanted out, I needed to think. Calmly. Clearly. Eventually, those irritating beeps slowed. I tried to focus past the sound.

Voices buzzed about me, adding to my need to see, to do something to protect myself. No one seemed to pay attention to me. Good. I could use that to my advantage.

I centered my every thought on moving my little finger. It finally jerked, but collided against something solid. So the thing trapping my arm was physical and too heavy for me to lift. It was better to be trapped than paralyzed. With luck I could escape my restraints. I tried my other hand, but it was cemented stuck as well. Right leg. Left leg. Damn it! Both trapped. I had to move!

No.

No, I needed to stay calm. I tried to make larger movements, biting the pipe in my mouth against the urge to scream in pain. There was no wiggle room.

Fearing that I might be blindfolded, I focused on blinking. It worked. My eyes opened and the blur faded, revealing ceiling tiles. Why would there be tiles? Where was the canvas of hospital tents? The distant sounds of bombs dropping? The power of their explosions rushing through my blood?

What I'm Celebrating This Week

– It's been a busy week, but I still managed to get a few things done, like plotting and outlining a brand new book and series. Actually, I'm not sure if it will turn into a series yet, but the book will be a standalone. If popular, then I might do a series based in this world. I've moved away from wolf shifters in this story, and am focusing on a fusion of dragon and fae lore. The worldbuilding is enormous, and I absolutely love it. Can't wait to share it with you.

– I finally started my author instagram account, so if you're on instagram, find me and follow. Shall return the faovr. My handle name is @taniafwalsh Lots more photos coming, I just have to keep remembering to add photos.

– Today was one of those perfect days. No reason, just because it felt right, and I'm still smiling. I'm reminded of how lucky I am to have the best husband in the world, a loving family, supporitve friends, and that I get a chance to pursue my dream of being an author 🙂

The daughter of a sultan alpha, Selena Kurt agrees to an arranged wulfkin mating to protect her sister from a dangerous alpha from the enemy clan. To her surprise, her match is Marcin Ulf, the next in line for the Hungarian throne…and the wulfkin who broke her heart years ago.
Marcin is just as shocked to learn he’ll be matched to the enemy’s daughter and the woman he’s never forgotten. Before they can be paired, however, they’re drawn into a tournament where Marcin will compete to free his estranged imprisoned brother, while Selena battles for the life of another wulfkin alpha. Both intend to seize this chance to save those they’re fighting for—even if it means facing off with one another just as their romance rekindles.
Will tribe loyalty triumph, or will they realize they’re better off as a team before it’s too late?

What are you celebrating this week?

This post is part of Lexa Cain's blog hop, Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is follow the link and put your name on the Mr.Linky list, and then be sure to post every Friday about something you're grateful for that week. It can be about writing or family or school or general life. This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever!

What I'm Celebrating This Week

– Launching books alway feel like whirlwinds. For months I'd been planning the release, booking promotions, reviews, blog tours, creating banners, writing guest posts etc, and when the day happens, it's at lightening speed. Kind of reminds me of my wedding day:) This past week has been amazing – seeing Cloaked in Blood on so many wonderful websites, having reviewers and readers share their reviews. Lots of great things.

– I plan on taking this weekend off as a bit of time out and to catch up on reading. This weekend I'll craft more of my swag for giveaway, which is always theraputic.

– We are in autumn here in Australia, and while the temperature has dropped, the sun is out, the skies are a brilliant blue and it's just a gorgeous week.

The daughter of a sultan alpha, Selena Kurt agrees to an arranged wulfkin mating to protect her sister from a dangerous alpha from the enemy clan. To her surprise, her match is Marcin Ulf, the next in line for the Hungarian throne…and the wulfkin who broke her heart years ago.
Marcin is just as shocked to learn he’ll be matched to the enemy’s daughter and the woman he’s never forgotten. Before they can be paired, however, they’re drawn into a tournament where Marcin will compete to free his estranged imprisoned brother, while Selena battles for the life of another wulfkin alpha. Both intend to seize this chance to save those they’re fighting for—even if it means facing off with one another just as their romance rekindles.
Will tribe loyalty triumph, or will they realize they’re better off as a team before it’s too late?

What are you celebrating this week?

This post is part of Lexa Cain's blog hop, Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is follow the link and put your name on the Mr.Linky list, and then be sure to post every Friday about something you're grateful for that week. It can be about writing or family or school or general life. This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever!

Today is a huge day for me. Cloaked in Blood – book 3 – in the Wulfkin Legacy series is here. This book holds a dear place in my heart because I've been carrying it around in my head since writing Cloaked in Fur (book 1) years ago, in particular the grand tournament. But once I started writing, the characters burst to life. I'm a plotter and have to know where I'm going before I can write, but in Cloaked in Blood, Marcin and Selena had their own agendas. They added so many twists and turns that even I didn't see them coming. But in the end, those changes were completely worth the effort. And initial reviewers are loving the book. Yay.

Cloaked in Blood

The daughter of a sultan alpha, Selena Kurt agrees to an arranged wulfkin mating to protect her sister from a dangerous alpha from the enemy clan. To her surprise, her match is Marcin Ulf, the next in line for the Hungarian throne…and the wulfkin who broke her heart years ago.

Marcin is just as shocked to learn he’ll be matched to the enemy’s daughter and the woman he’s never forgotten. Before they can be paired, however, they’re drawn into a tournament where Marcin will compete to free his estranged imprisoned brother, while Selena battles for the life of another wulfkin alpha. Both intend to seize this chance to save those they’re fighting for—even if it means facing off with one another just as their romance rekindles.

Will tribe loyalty triumph, or will they realize they’re better off as a team before it’s too late?

Sixth grade isn’t easy for Jesenya Moradi, especially since her father’s recent remarriage and tension with her new stepsister, Kammy. After an incident at school that nearly destroyed Kammy's life, Jess has been desperate to get on Kammy’s good side. But a fateful trip to an allegedly haunted bathroom changes both girls’ lives forever.

The rumors about the bathroom are true, and now Jess is convinced a demon's possessing Kammy. Eerie things happen whenever she's around – flying objects, flickering lights, not to mention the fact that something, or someone, is making people into its puppets.

Worse, the demon seems fixated on making Jess confess her part in ruining Kammy's reputation. Sticking to her Muslim faith, Jess enlists the help of an imam to exorcise the demon from Kammy. But can they get rid of the demon before it destroys her new family?

Madeia Sharif was born in New York City and she presently calls Miami her home. She received my master’s degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. After becoming a voracious reader in high school and a relentless writer dabbling in many genres in college, she found her niche writing for young people. Today she’s a MG and YA writer published through various presses. In addition to being a writer, she is a public school teacher. Her memberships include Mensa, ALAN, and SCBWI.

What I'm Celebrating This Week

– Biggest celebration has been the countdown to the launch of Cloaked in Blood coming out May 9 – yep, only a few days away. Everything has been sent out to participating blogs and my wonderful friends who are helping me spread the word. Reviews have already starting to trickle in, like this one:

"This latest book is my favorite so far. Marcin is a brooding hottie and his love interest, Selena, is a fierce warrior in her own right. Can they rekindle the passion they had as teens? Or does one of them have a secret agenda?" 5 Stars

– My newsletter went out yesterday and if you've missed it, it's not too late to sign up. Click here. Check out a snippet.

– This weeknd is Free Comic Book Day, so on Saturday we'll be getting ourselves some comics.

The daughter of a sultan alpha, Selena Kurt agrees to an arranged wulfkin mating to protect her sister from a dangerous alpha from the enemy clan. To her surprise, her match is Marcin Ulf, the next in line for the Hungarian throne…and the wulfkin who broke her heart years ago.
Marcin is just as shocked to learn he’ll be matched to the enemy’s daughter and the woman he’s never forgotten. Before they can be paired, however, they’re drawn into a tournament where Marcin will compete to free his estranged imprisoned brother, while Selena battles for the life of another wulfkin alpha. Both intend to seize this chance to save those they’re fighting for—even if it means facing off with one another just as their romance rekindles.
Will tribe loyalty triumph, or will they realize they’re better off as a team before it’s too late?

What are you celebrating this week?

This post is part of Lexa Cain's blog hop, Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is follow the link and put your name on the Mr.Linky list, and then be sure to post every Friday about something you're grateful for that week. It can be about writing or family or school or general life. This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever!

Happy to share Lori's new cover release today… the cover is just gorgeous. Huge congrats.

Trouble BY ANY OTHER NAME

Tara Triannon is no stranger to trouble. She's yet to find an enemy her skill with a sword couldn't dispatch. But how can she fight one that attacks through her dreams?

With her nightmares worsening, Tara seeks answers but finds only more questions. Then her sister, Laraina, reveals a stunning secret that forces Tara to go to the one place Tara's sworn never to return to. Her troubles multiply when Jovan Trevillion, the secretive soldier of fortune who stole her heart, is mentally tortured by an ancient Being intent on bending him to its will. And worst of all, the Butcher — the terrifying wolf-like assassin she thought she'd killed — survived their duel and is hunting her again.

Hounded by enemies, Tara sets out on a harrowing quest to discover the true nature of who she is, to come to grips with the new volatility of her magic, and to defeat the evil locked in a centuries-old trap that will stop at nothing to control her magic and escape through her nightmares.

Lori L. MacLaughlin traces her love of fantasy adventure to Tolkien and Terry Brooks, finding The Lord of the Rings and The Sword of Shannara particularly inspirational. She's been writing stories in her head since she was old enough to run wild through the forests on the farm on which she grew up.

She has been many things over the years – tree climber, dairy farmer, clothing salesperson, kids' shoe fitter, retail manager, medical transcriptionist, journalist, private pilot, traveler, wife and mother, Red Sox and New York Giants fan, muscle car enthusiast and NASCAR fan, and a lover of all things Scottish and Irish.

When she's not writing (or working), she can be found curled up somewhere dreaming up more story ideas, taking long walks in the countryside, or spending time with her kids. She lives with her family in northern Vermont.

This interview is coming to you from a Florida prison. I’m sitting at a table, waiting for David Buckland aka Buck to be brought in by guards. I’m a bit nervous. I only have a few minutes to ask him questions and he’s not exactly warm and fuzzy. But I don’t have any more time to think about that because here he comes.

*Buck takes a seat across from me, the guard backs away.*

Chrys: Thanks for meeting with me.

Buck: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Not like I had a real choice in the matter.

Chrys: Okay. First question . . .

1. How did you get caught up in Jackson Storm’s drug ring?

*laughs* You think I was dragged into it by Chewy? I was the one who brought him into it. The narcotics kept in the department are a gold mind. All the money! Through street contacts, I linked up with Jackson. He liked the idea of cops working for him, so I approached Chewy and a few others in the department who I knew had the same hunger for money. It didn’t take long before cops from other precincts joined us.

2. But you ran into a problem; You were caught. How did that happen?

We weren’t as careful as we should’ve been. People started to notice narcs going missing and an investigation started. We thought we covered our bases by bribing the man in charge of the evidence locker, but we were wrong…he snitched.

3. So you killed him?

Yes.

4. Just as you killed the Internal Affairs Investigator who found out—Ryan Goldwyn?

We had to kill him. He put his nose in our business. We had to get rid of him to eliminate the threat of our operation going under.

5. And yet it still went under because of his brother, Donovan. Do you have anything to say to him?

An Internal Affairs Investigator was murdered and his brother, Donovan Goldwyn, was framed. Now Donovan is desperate to prove his innocence. And the one person who can do that is the woman who saved him from a deadly hurricane—Beth Kennedy. From the moment their fates intertwined, passion consumed him. He wants her in his arms. More, he wants her by his side in his darkest moments.

Beth Kennedy may not know everything about Donovan, but she can’t deny what she feels for him. It’s her love for him that pushes her to do whatever she has to do to help him get justice, including putting herself in a criminal’s crosshairs.

When a tip reveals the killer's location, they travel to California, but then an earthquake of catastrophic proportions separates them. As aftershocks roll the land, Beth and Donovan have to endure dangerous conditions while trying to find their way back to one another. Will they reunite and find the killer, or will they lose everything?

Maysa Mazari is alarmed by her mother’s talk about an arranged marriage. Meanwhile, as a hijab-wearing Pakistani-American, she wants to find love on her own. Her judgmental Muslim clique has protected her from racist taunts, although the leader, Aamal, is turning on her as Maysa strays from the group because of her attraction to Haydee.

Haydee Gomez is a former gang member and juvenile detention student. Now living with a clean-cut aunt, she wants to turn her life around, even though one person will never let her forget her roots—Rafe, her abusive pimp. Haydee attempts to pull away from a life of prostitution when she develops feelings for Maysa, although Rafe isn’t willing to give her up too easily.

Finding themselves in danger from Maysa’s friends and Haydee’s pimp, it’s apparent their love disturbs everyone around them as they fight to stay together.

What I'm Celebrating This Week

– Hubby has this week off work, which means spending more time with him. Yep, lots to celebrate there.

– We're planning a small weekend away to just relax and I intend to leave behind writing and the internet. Let's see if it's possible 🙂

– Christine Rains has released the last book in her Sasquatch Susies series (#3). Super excited about this one and I was lucky enough to read it in the making. Scorching hot!! Amazon.

Blurb: Life for Susie Russell couldn’t be better. Her lingerie business won international fame and her sister had found irrefutable proof of Bigfoot’s existence. So confident about the authenticity of their evidence, Susie even agrees to let a skeptic join their group on a research exhibition near Mt. Hood. Her world comes crashing down when the man who broke her heart turns around to shake her hand. Brach Stevens might be smart and gorgeous, but Susie refuses to let him so easily charm his way back into her life. Their trek into the woods turns deadly when they’re trapped by a forest fire. Will they be able to escape the hungry flames or will Susie perish without letting Brach know she has always loved him?

*****

– Cloaked in Blood is almost here.

May 9 is the official launch date. I'm slowly getting on top of my to do list, I've contacted a handful of awesome review sites, organized several promotions, written guest posts, and even planned some activity to grow my newsletter list. (feel free to sign up as some great things are coming). Until then, time to celebrate my upcoming release.

I still can't believe this my 3rd book launch this year:)

Anyway, Cloaked in Blood is now available on PRE-ORDER at a great deal.

The daughter of a sultan alpha, Selena Kurt agrees to an arranged wulfkin mating to protect her sister from a dangerous alpha from the enemy clan. To her surprise, her match is Marcin Ulf, the next in line for the Hungarian throne…and the wulfkin who broke her heart years ago.
Marcin is just as shocked to learn he’ll be matched to the enemy’s daughter and the woman he’s never forgotten. Before they can be paired, however, they’re drawn into a tournament where Marcin will compete to free his estranged imprisoned brother, while Selena battles for the life of another wulfkin alpha. Both intend to seize this chance to save those they’re fighting for—even if it means facing off with one another just as their romance rekindles.
Will tribe loyalty triumph, or will they realize they’re better off as a team before it’s too late?

What are you celebrating this week?

This post is part of Lexa Cain's blog hop, Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is follow the link and put your name on the Mr.Linky list, and then be sure to post every Friday about something you're grateful for that week. It can be about writing or family or school or general life. This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever!